Only a bunch of convicts having been beaten 3-0 and gone 9 tests without a win and won just 1 in 11 against England could go into the home series saying they will win. England will win in Australia again this winter as they are a better side which they have shown this summer. 3-0 doesn't lie girls.

Founder of ESAS - Edgar Schiferli, the best associate bowler
A follower of the schools of Machiavelli, Bentham, Locke, Hobbes, Sutcliffe, Bradman, Lindwall, Miller, Hassett and Benaud
Member of JMAS, DMAS, FRAS and RTDAS

when you're winning, you have friendsscores and dozens, real friendswhen you're winning, never lonelywhen you keep winning

and then logically onwards (winner match one plays winner match two and so on.) The tournament ends on 28 September, that's nine days after the final league game of the season.

There will be a plate, but as not everyone has signed up for it what will likely happen is this:
plate first round (7 September): all teams knocked out of group stage that wish to play plate
plate quarter-finals: winners of plate round 1 + losers of main tournament second round that wish to play plate - if this brings the total to more than 8 teams, some of the teams that won in plate round 1 will be eliminated based on their run rate in the matches played so far, or there won't be a tournament for the second round losers (haven't quite decided yet, advantages and disadvantages to both methods); if there's fewer than 8 teams some of the teams from round 2 (and, if necessary, teams that won in plate round 1) will be given byes to the semi-final on the same principle.

In case of a forfeit and a net run rate decision is needed for the group or to seed teams in the plate, teams will be deemed to have received the "average win" over the forfeiting team. If a team forfeits all three games it's fair on everyone.

Group D:
Swingers (10464) vs Whenuapai CC (1569) - if Whenuapai reaches the NZ cup final then this match will be declared a tie with both sides earning one point.
Tamil Eelam CC (9382), Magical Ponies (5409)